Yotsu Seou
Yotsu Seou was a bushi ronin who became the Yotsu Daimyo. Early Years Family Seou was the daughter of Yotsu Yatoshin, and the third of his children, twin sister of Yotsu Seiki, and younger sister of Ureiko. She had five more siblings who lived in the Mountains of Regret. Way of the Wolf, pp. 37-38 Imperial Heir's Return Her mother was killed by an earthquake which destroyed the hut they were living. After the event they left the Mountains for a safer place. In 1111, during their journey, Yotsu saved the Imperial Heir from Bloodspeakers, at the cost of his youngest son. Guardians, by Shawn Carman Seou accompanied her father and siblings when they moved to Otosan Uchi to return the rescued Heir Hantei Sotorii to his father the Emperor Hantei XXXVIII. Yotsu was given the Yatoshin name, and the children were invited to the Imperial Court as playmates and companions to the boy they had saved. Way of the Wolf, p. 38 Seou and Seiki were ten-year-old at that time, and always remembered their dead youngest brother, who was five. Way of the Wolf, p. 82 Training Seou wished to become a Seppun Miharu, but she only could practice throwing knives at trees while her sister was being taught in the ways of the shugenja by a traveling ronin. When the sensei died he left to Seou a collection of elaborate shuriken. Station Yotsu Dojo The Yotsu Dojo was a small dojo run by Seou prior to the Scorpion Coup, exclusively teaching ronin. The twins sisters maintained a small forre of guards in the Yatoshin district, governed by their sister Ureiko. Otosan Uchi:Book 1, p. 52 They lent their talents to her cause. Toturi's Army In 1125 they heard the former Lion Clan Champion Akodo Toturi, currently known as Toturi the Black, was gathering an army in the Dragon lands. Seiki was eager to move and join her idolized hero, but Seou resisted the idea, expecting to enter in the Seppun guard. Way of the Wolf, p. 83 Eventually Seou joined the Toturi's Army, Yotsu Seou (Dark Journey Home Boxtext) as her sister, who died in 1128 during the assault on Otosan Uchi on the Second Day of Thunder. Clan Letter to Toturi's army #7 (Imperial Herald v2 #3) War Against Shadow In 1132 the famine grew in Rokugan, unatended lands and continuous war left the warehouses empty. Hidden Emperor, p. 42 The plague of locusts seen by Seou worsened the situation. Plague of Locusts (Ambition's Debt flavor) During the War Against Shadow, she fought along side of Toturi's Army. Yotsu Seou (Dark Journey Home flavor) She served under the great ronin general Saigorei when he reconstituted Toturi's Army and led it at the Battle of Oblivion's Gate. After the war, she became the district commander in Otosan Uchi when her sister Urieko succeeded their father as leader of the Yotsu family. Fealty and Freedom, p. 140 Yotsu Daimyo In 1158 Seou was already the only surviving child of Yotsu Yatoshin. Rokugan, p. 24 Seou became the daimyo of the Yotsu family Clan Letter to the Ronin #7 (Imperial Herald v2 #5) and the leader of the Sword of Yotsu school before the Fall of Otosan Uchi. During the Shadowlands attack in 1159 she was very reluctant to abandone the Imperial City and the Yotsu Dojo, but Doji Okakura, Kakita Gemon's Yojimbo, convinced her to gather other forces out of the city to come back and expel the dark foes. Battle for Otosan Uchi, Part 2, by Rich Wulf and Shawn Carman Ruins Seou and the Yotsu family continued to patrol the ruins of Otosan Uchi. Fighting the Ninube The Yotsu knew there was something within the city that ruled the night. Something that could not be seen in the light of day, and that could not be killed with simple steel. It preyed not on the flesh but on the mind, and several watchmen became mad. In 1168 Seou met in the South Hub Village with the Jade Champion, Asahina Sekawa, and Doji Reju. They had came with the Jade Legions to cleanse the Ruined City of this darkness. Sekawa promised to lobby to the new Crane Clan Champion, Doji Domotai, to grant Crane territory for the Yotsu. The Ruins of Otosan Uchi, Part 2, by Shawn Carman They marched to the ruined Forbidden Palace where began a great battle against the Ninube, with the aid of a group of Unicorn led by Shinjo Shono. Reju, Shinjo Xie, and the enemy leader, Ninube Chochu, died. The city was cleansed of the Ninube. The Ruins of Otosan Uchi, Part 3, by Shawn Carman Imperial Vassals At the Winter Court in Kyuden Otomo this year, the personal friendship between Yotsu Seou and Seppun Kiharu led to the Yotsu family being accepted as a vassal family to the Seppun family. However, the Yotsu had been allow to keep their own family name and had been given the singular honor of wearing both the Yotsu and Seppun mons when serving the Imperial family. Winter Court Kyuden Otomo 1168, p. 8 She moved to Toshi Ranbo out of respect for the family's improving relationship with the Seppun. Strongholds of the Empire, p. 89 Imperial Wedding In 1171 Seou was present in the Imperial wedding between the Empress Iweko I and Akodo Setai at the Temple of Jade Sun. The Imperial Wedding, by Rusty Priske See also * Yotsu Seou/Meta External Links * Yotsu Seou (Dark Journey Home) Category:Toturi's Army Category:Ronin Leaders Category:Imperial Leaders